The Halo® 2 Multiplayer Map Pack, the first true expansion pack for a console title, adds nine all-new and highly detailed multiplayer maps to the most popular Xbox® game to date. Additional bonus content showcases previously unreleased footage including an animated feature highlighting an unseen battle in Old Mombasa and a mini-documentary showcasing the creative process behind the new multiplayer maps. In addition, the map pack disc contains the Halo 2 Auto-Update which provides gamers who do not use Xbox Live™ with the ability to enjoy recent gameplay enhancements and improvements. The map pack, from developer Bungie Studios and publisher Microsoft Game Studios, is Rated M and will be available for the Xbox on July 5, 2005, for U.S. $19.99 (MSRP).
 

• Containment: Placing gamers on a large and icy battlefield on Delta Halo where a massive trench separates two bases, Containment is an immense battlefield built to accommodate 16 players and every vehicle in the Halo 2 arsenal. With a symmetrical layout and fortified defenses, Containment plays best on objective game types such as Capture the Flag (CTF) and Assault.
• Warlock: A small-to-midsized indoor arena set in ancient Forerunner ruins, Warlock offers fast-paced close-quarters action. Inspired by the original Halo®: Combat Evolved map Wizard, Warlock is ideal for medium-sized games and is a blast for game types such as Slayer, Team Slayer and Oddball.
• Gemini: Hovering in space and towering above the lights of High Charity, Gemini is meant as a refuge for meditation by senior prelates in the Prophet hierarchy. The core layout of Gemini is based on the classic Duality map from Bungie's Marathon series. As a fairly small map, Gemini is excellent for games of Slayer with a few friends.
• Turf: A large, asymmetrical map set in the narrow streets and alleyways of Old Mombasa, Turf features plenty of blind corners for intense battles. While originally designed primarily for Territories game types, Turf holds up well with any of the classic Halo 2 variants.
• Relic: Evidence of battle is scattered across the sun-baked sands of a lonely island. A crashed Albatross Dropship spills wreckage and material onto the wind-scoured beach like an eviscerated seal, while shield formations, vehicle detritus, and combat platforms litter the field. Relic is a medium-sized map designed primarily for one-flag CTF and Assault game types. 
• Elongation: You don't have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find the foundation of Elongation—it's a reworked version of the original Halo map Longest. Set amidst an orbiting space station, Elongation provides a stunning view of Earth along with close-quarters face-to-face action. A constantly moving conveyor belt offers some interesting tactical opportunities for small games of CTF or Assault.
• Terminal: Terminal was once a place where the leisure classes gathered, enjoyed lunch, shopped, and met friends. Those halcyon days are now just a memory, and while this sector of New Mombasa remains unscarred by explosion or burning plasma, it's still filled with danger. Terminal is a large asymmetrical map designed primarily for medium to large games of one-flag CTF and Assault, but it also works great for large games of Team Slayer. During the intense battles, players will do well to stay clear of the tracks.
• Backwash: Veiled in mist and alive with the chattering of unseen fauna, Backwash is a sodden valley in a seemingly boundless swamp. Forerunner technology, illuminated by eerie light, still hums with life. This medium-sized map draws inspiration from the swamp level in the original Halo campaign and works great for Slayer variants.
• Sanctuary: As a bright alien star illuminates these temple grounds, its peaceful lawns and elegant structures present a perfect picture against a backdrop of beautiful waterfalls and aqueducts. Sanctuary is set amidst the ruins on Delta Halo and consists of two bases offset by crumbling ancient structures. The symmetrical layout of this map makes it perfect for heated games of CTF and Assault.

• New Multiplayer Experiences Await: Enhance your Halo 2 experience with the nine new highly detailed multiplayer maps. Challenge friends via System Link and split-screen, or take the game onto Xbox Live to show the world who the best Halo 2 players truly are. 
• Go Behind the Curtain: In the bonus documentary, meet the people behind these exciting new maps and get a taste of life inside Bungie Studios.
• Unravel the Mysteries of Old Mombasa: An animated bonus feature showcases unseen events happening during the Old Mombasa mission from the Halo 2 campaign.
• Complete Game Updates: Includes new gameplay enhancements and improved Xbox Live gameplay.
• Xbox Live Subscribers Get An Early Start: Xbox Live subscribers will have the first opportunity to sample the content starting in April when they can download two maps, Containment and Warlock, for free, courtesy of Mountain Dew. Two additional maps, Sanctuary and Turf, are now also available free of charge. To complete the collection, gamers can download the final five maps for $11.99 on July 5. By the end of this summer, all nine of the new maps will be made available at no cost over Xbox Live.